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A Nonviral Approach to Generate Transient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Using mRNA for Cancer Immunotherapy
Published on: February 21, 2025
Future directions in chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy
1aDivision of Oncology, Cancer Immunotherapy Program, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia bDepartment of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
The impact of immunotherapy has grown exponentially in the past 5 years. Principle illustrations are encouraging results with engineered T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). This experimental therapy is developing simultaneously in pediatric and adult clinical trials, making this field particularly relevant and exciting for pediatric oncologists.
Recent Findings:
CAR-modified T cells targeting CD19 have produced dramatic antitumor responses in patients with relapsed/refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Clinical trials from several institutions, in both children and adults, using distinct CAR T cell products have demonstrated similar high complete remission rates of 61-93%, with durable remissions observed. Although the development of CARs for other malignancies has lagged behind, research into novel approaches to overcome inherent challenges is promising.
Summary:
Clinical trials of CAR-modified T cells have produced unprecedented results and are anticipated to have a broader impact as this approach expands into other indications, including other cancers and frontline therapy. The potential for long-term disease control, if fully realized, will have a transformative impact on the field.
